Causecast

by KERRI FEAZELL, Contributing Writer

1. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that affects more than five million Americans, typically over the age of 65.

2. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is eventually fatal, making it the seventh most common cause of death in the U.S.

3. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, several drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. The National Institute on Aging provides information about Alzheimer’s research and participating in clinical trials.

4. The top warning signs of Alzheimer’s are:

•Significant short term memory loss
•Difficulty recalling facts from long term memory, including names of loved ones and basic daily tasks
•Confusion with speaking and understanding conversations
•Difficulty understanding surroundings, such as location and time
•Mood swings and drastically altered personality
•Decreased ability with numbers and basic mathematics

5. Like any good medical advice, changing one factor of your lifestyle is not enough. It is important to adopt a lifestyle that promotes brain health, including physical activity, mental stimulation, socialization and nutrition.

6. Aluminum may or may not be linked to Alzheimer’s disease; this remains a controversy in the medical community. (Good news for the cautious and the hippies: as long as the question remains, you can still use it as a reason to forgo antiperspirant.)

7. Each year, National Memory Screening Day events across the country provide free memory screenings for seniors. This annual event is coming up on November 17, 2009. There are also many other free screening opportunities that take place year-round.

8. If you are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, there is help and support available to you. For example, respite care gives you the opportunity to take breaks, to help regulate the stress of care-giving. If you are considering seeking residential care for your loved one, Visiting Angels is a leading provider of non-medical, in-home care for seniors.

9. Nationally, the annual estimated cost of caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease is $100 billion.

10. Because caring for seniors with Alzheimer’s can be financially taxing, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America provides grants to qualifying families for respite care.

Photo by Ann Gordon, Flickr.